Sculpture Parks and Gardens Conference                      
                                                                                          By Leslie Kaufman

October blessed the majestically landscaped Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ with crackling colors, the ideal setting for a three-day conference devoted to placing sculpture in the landscape. The integration of sculpture into an outdoor setting is not a new concept. Historically, sculpture gardens reflected the aesthetics, mores and predilections of the cultures of which they were a part. They existed to accomplish religious and symbolic, as well as ornamental purposes. The Zen Ryoan-ji temple garden in Kyoto, Japan, is a sacred place for worship and contemplation. The power of asymmetrically placed rocks surrounded by raked gravel defies rational explanation, yet is such that the site has inspired awe and reverence worldwide since its creation in the 15th century.

Prominent 16th century Romans often put decorative statues in their gardens, initially as a display of antiquities, but later to create allegories with messages understood within their contemporary culture. And, what were those messages? Primarily, they were of the power, wisdom or culture of the patron. Roman audiences understood the symbolic meanings of statue types (deities and personifications of natural elements) because conventions existed that allowed garden statuary to function as a system of communication.

Outdoor sculpture can also be seen as a primary element in public settings, such as in the form of monuments to commemorate famous people and events, and on tombs in cemeteries. And, it hasn't been only modern museums which have capitalized on the exhibition possibilities presented by the space outside the walls - in the early 1500's Pope Julius created a courtyard opening onto the Vatican gardens where he displayed the papal collection of ancient statues.

So, if sculpture gardens have been around for so long, what, if anything, is different enough today to explain the apparent surge of interest in what can be increasingly seen as an emerging art form? As suggested in opening remarks at the conference, is the interest in sculpture parks and gardens actually a movement having social, as well as artistic significance? Or, was the conference just a guided tour for the cognoscenti?

Carol Sterling, Director of Programs and the ISC Resource Center and coordinator of the conference, explained that the decision to hold the conference was based on a "felt need by the sculpture parks and gardens community. Different members of this community could come together to discuss philosophical and curatorial priorities, as well as personal vision and practical experience." Intentionally limited to 250 people, the conference presented forums for exploring issues and challenges, and provided opportunities for networking and sharing.

Many sculpture parks engage virtual visitors, perhaps more frequently than actual ones. With the proliferation of web sites devoted to increasing the visibility of sculpture parks and gardens, a visitor can even "walk" through some of the gardens, protected from distractions such as art-insensitive insects and uncooperative weather. On the ISC web site ISC Web Master Robert Michael Smith has truly engaged technology in the service of art in his virtual tours of hundreds of Sculpture Parks and Gardens.

But, isn't the sculpture garden really about the actual experience of responding to, and interacting with, the art and the natural environment it inhabits? Not only do aficionados want the experience of the actual product, but increasingly, they want to learn about the process as well. And, as shown in presentations by artists, private collectors and arts administrators alike, this is an endeavor pursued passionately. It is the revelatory nature of this passion which helps identify what it is about sculpture gardens that touches so many of us so deeply.

Alfio Bonanno, Founding Director of the Tranekaer International Center for Art and Nature in Denmark, felt his sculpture park was "born out of necessity." Living in a community that was gradually losing its industry and its jobs, he saw the creation of a nature-oriented sculpture park on an island near the town as an opportunity for healing and a way to counterbalance the negatives in society. Not only could artists collaborate with nature to reaffirm the qualities of life and growth so clearly in distress around him, but the park could also provide jobs and opportunities for artisans and other townspeople.Art served to link not only the island to the mainland, but also the "fringe" community to the "establishment." And, even if none of the art was traditional in subject, style, or materials, it had purpose, and not only to the humans. Artist-created floating islands served as nesting places for birds and turtles, and piled newspapers reflected the cycle of life as they generated grass seedlings and other forms of forest life.

In the eyes of most observers, nature should play the part of the radiant and demure bride in the idyllic wedding of art and nature. But, frequently, Mother Nature finds ways to resist the roles imposed upon her. Peter Murray distinguished between the European attitude of "cultivating" the land and the American attitude of "conquering" it, yet regardless of approach, deer have munched on botanic elements, moles have tunneled through site-specific gardens, and squirrels have developed a taste for certain types of wood used in outdoor sculptures. When given opportunity, nature continues its biological imperative.

Perhaps it is the challenge provided by the environment that reinforces the dedication felt by those committed to the growth of this art "movement." The sense of accomplishment experienced when artwork has been successfully sited in a park or garden does not, after all, belong solely to the artist, or even to the organizer or director. Much "invisible effort" is involved in siting the works, including installing supports and foundations, building up and amending the earth, installing drainage systems, and contouring the land. Both David Collens, Director of the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY, and Brian Carey, Architect and Landscape Designer responsible for designing both the structures and the landscaping at Grounds for Sculpture, acknowledge the shared labor of love involved in creating just the right environment for each work of art. The installation of work often also involves collaboration with construction workers and other non-artists. For Steven Oliver, private collector from San Francisco, the interaction of the artists with the workers added a new dimension. The installations became a "social experiment" where different worlds overlapped, to the benefit of both.

The creation of these outdoor venues for sculpture taps internal resources as well as external ones. Many conference presenters and participants who did not identify themselves as artists nevertheless subtly or overtly expressed a desire to be creators themselves. Martin Friedman, former Director of the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis, "outed" the "artist within," when he described himself as a failed artist who deeply relates to artists and finds himself "seduced by creativity." This commitment to the artists, as well as to the artistic process, was reinforced in Steven Oliver's presentation. Oliver has been commissioning artists for site-specific works since 1985, and acknowledged that he was more interested in process than product. Fellow collector J. Robert Duncan of Lincoln, Nebraska also emphasized the personal satisfaction he receives from his contact with the artists as one of his motivators in buying art.

Many sculpture parks and gardens today focus on contemporary art, allowing the artist to not only become more visible, but also to be seen increasingly as a collaborator and creative problem-solver. Although some sculpture gardens remain private and exist to display preexisting works of selected artists, many more today serve multiple purposes and allow for expanded views of what art is and how it functions in a larger society. Sculptor Jody Pinto was commissioned to transform a parking lot into a sculpture garden at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. In her presentation, she emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, and the importance of incorporating the needs of the various members of the college community into her design. The resulting plaza and amphitheater (see Brooke Barrie's article in Sculpture, September 1999) became both an independent art form, and a foundation for sculptures and performances by other artists.

Since museums and educational institutions serve to educate the public, they also can reinforce the viability of the concept that artists are not just the fringe on the fabric of society, but part of its very weave. As explained by Mary Beebe, Director of the Stuart Collection at the University of California at San Diego, commissioned artwork has been sprouting all over the campus since 1981. Sometimes generating controversy, the selected works have often taken on new identities within the campus culture. Niki de Saint Phalle's "Sun God" inspired an annual Sun God Festival using the artwork as its center, and other pieces were used as sites for festivals, weddings, and memorials.

As recognized by Martin Friedman, contemporary sculpture gardens cannot, by necessity, remain static. Stressing that flexibility is essential for survival, he noted that at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (where he has worked as a consultant,) plans to make changes to the museum building will impact the surrounding sculpture garden. The impact of nature recurs here as well, since outdoor work, especially that of a more temporary or site-specific nature, is vulnerable to weather and other factors causing it to deteriorate. Conservation and maintenance then become ongoing realities.

Not surprisingly, perhaps the issue of most apparent concern to both presenters and participants alike was that of funding. For those looking for simple solutions, Mary Beebe, put it succinctly, "there is no formula." She also voiced what many of the attendees must have been feeling when she lamented, "I shouldn't have to be the one to talk about fundraising - I know someone has to do it, but I want to talk about art!" Nevertheless, she advised people searching for funding to develop their own style and methods, and to be savvy enough to realize that people give for their reasons, no matter what the needs of the seeker. Successful fundraising strategies need to take this into account.

Creativity is certainly not just within the purview of the artist, and current changes in the funding environment have necessitated broad-ranging approaches to keeping the dollars flowing. Beej Nierengarten-Smith, Executive Director of Laumeier Sculpture Park and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, found she was forced to employ a "patchwork" funding approach to compensate for the loss of money from major sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts. She now combines the use of traditional funders, (which include the N.E.A., county government, private endowments, and the local arts council,) with short-term fundraising activities (parties, art fairs, festivals, art camps, crafts sales, etc.) In addition, she emphasized the increasing emphasis on educational programs as a basis for soliciting support from corporations and other institutions.

Attracting corporate support is important, even for corporate collections. According to Donald McNeil, Curator of the Corporate Art Collection at General Mills in Minneapolis, the key to releasing money for the arts from the business world is to find opportunities that are mutually beneficial to both the artists and the corporation. When the Walker was under construction, sculptures were temporarily placed in front of General Mills office buildings on loan, with the hope that people would get used to them and want to purchase them. There was also a practical aspect- with large works, buying them was easier than removing them!

For most people attending the conference, the identification of challenges proved to be a unifying factor. Articulating a clear vision for both content and development was a recurring theme. In exploring concerns affecting both the assembling of the collections themselves, and the marketing of the parks and gardens, it became apparent that for those venues offering public access, a larger community needed to be involved. By redefining the sculpture park as not just gallery art placed outside, but as a place that the public could view as a planned destination, art could be better integrated into the cultural offerings of communities. If potential audiences could first be identified, and then educated as to how this experience could have value in their lives, a stronger foundation of support for sculpture parks and gardens could be developed.

It seemed that perhaps the most cogent metaphor for the conference and its goals was quite appropriately placed directly in everyone's visual field. The exhibition of monumental works by Beverly Pepper that had just been installed at Grounds for Sculpture communicated a power and spiritual presence that could only be felt by those experiencing the physicality of the art. Pepper's dignified bronze pillars were solidly grounded in the earth, but appeared to ascend to a higher plane.